Nottingham Forest tried to sign Nathaniel Phillips from Liverpool during the summer (Liverpool Echo) and on Saturday he capped his Premier League debut with a Man of the Match performance in Jurgen Klopp’s team.
The Reds opted to sign other defensive targets, with Scott McKenna arriving from Aberdeen and Loic Mbe Soh checking in from Ligue 1 outfit Paris Saint-Germain.
Phillips was perhaps viewed as an alternative had those deals not gone through. On the evidence of Saturday, he’d have certainly been a decent signing for a Championship outfit.
The 23-year-old earned rave reviews from Jurgen Klopp and ex-Liverpool hero Jamie Carragher as Phillips helped the Reds to a 2-1 win over West Ham United.
Klopp, in particular, was blown away. He called Phillips a ‘monster in the air’ and ‘incredible’ after the contest (The Mirror).
It seems remarkable that Liverpool were willing to allow the defender to leave during the summer. On Saturday he won five aerial challenges and finished the game with a pass success ratio of 80% (Who Scored).
Phillips is out of contract in the summer of 2021 and his showing at the weekend might have left Liverpool with a decision to make.
Although it’s only one game, Liverpool are desperately short at centre-back and with that in mind, an extension to his existing deal might be ideal.
If they do decide to offload him at the end of the campaign, he could be an option for the Reds to reconsider.
Michael Dawson will almost certainly retire, leaving McKenna, Mbe Soh and Figueiredo as the club’s senior central defensive options.
Forest have plenty of players in their ranks who are pushing 30 and adding a 23-year-old could make for an attractive addition to the ranks.
The Reds might continue to watch Phillips’ progress with intrigue over the coming months.
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